Philippines Salvage Mission...

How it all began:

Our crowning moment of the 2008 season came to us at the Boulder, CO show in May. It was during that show that we met Lt. Lynn Daker, an 86 year old veteran of B-25s in the battle of the Pacific in WWII. Lt. Daker flew 36 combat missions in the Philippines and was shot down twice by enemy fire. Lt. Daker served as president of the 500th Bomb Squadron Association and vice-president of the 345th Bomb Group Association for several years.

The first time he was shot down, his plane was forced to ditch just 300 yards off one of the largest islands in the Philippine chain. As the Japanese mounted an attack on the surviving crew, Lt. Daker’s fellow flyer Lt. Herman F. Reheis maintained a visual overhead for three and half hours fighting off the Japanese and saving the crews lives.  During that battle, Lt. Daker was trapped in the sinking plane, he could feel his fellow crew members escaping and he himself was finally able to escape the plane.  As the plane sank, he realized his top turret gunner and friend, SSgt. Desire W. Chatigney Jr., was not in the water with them and was still in the plane.  The spot of this crash is forever marked in Lt. Daker's mind. In the twilight of his years he has come to us for help to go back to the spot and bring his friend and comrade home.

Throughout the summer of 2008, I worked the logistics of the trip.  I located a dive boat, side scan sonar, search equipment and security team to support the search.  I talked to both the US and Philippine governments and received their permission to proceed. 

So, in early 2009, Lt. Daker and a well trained and equipped search team departed the US to find the final resting place of Lt. Daker's plane and S/Sgt. Chatigney Jr., top turret gunner.

Read Jim Terry's Journal from this excursion here...

(link coming soon)

Greatest Generation Aircraft is supported by the John L. Terry Heritage Foundation,

a 501(c)(3) non-profit, educational foundation.